LSD

LSD is a drug used recreationally. It is used by millions of people annually. It was investigated by the CIA but found too unpredictable to be of use for mind control purposes. It is not considered addictive. In testimony on July 25, 2000 a DEA official admitted to US Congress that "most users of LSD voluntarily decrease or stop using it over time, since it does not produce the same compulsive, drug-induced behavior of cocaine and heroin."

Contents

Effects

The drug produces a psychedelic intoxication, similar to psilocybin, lasting for a number of hours. It was widely used in the 1960s counter culture. It has minimal physical effects on the body.
Researchers from investigators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham published research in 2017 that suggested that LSD use was associated with a decreased likelihood of antisocial criminal behavior.[1]

History

LSD was first made by Albert Hofmann in Switzerland on 16 November 1938[2] from ergotamine, a chemical from the fungus, ergot. He discovered its psychoactive properties accidentally.

MK Ultra

In the late 1940s, the drug was investigated by the Naval Medical Research Institute's mind controlresearchProject CHATTER. This continued until 1953 and inspired a more extensive set of studies in the 1950s by the CIA's MK Ultra (and associated projects), seeking a 'truth drug' which could make people disclose secrets. The agency gave the drug to thousands of people, both with and without warning of its effects. It was found to be too unreliable for the intended use. Moreover, it had the capability of opening people's minds to new perspectives, undoing the effect of brainwashing. It began to be used recreationally in the 1960s, and was made illegal.

Legal status

The drug was declared illegal in UK by Roy Jenkins, the Home Secretary in 1966. It was banned in many countries worldwide by the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. It remains illegal more or less globally to this day. Licenses for further research into its therapeutic use are hard to obtain, although its therapeutic value is widely suspected.